In those moments, holding him close, I knew every bit of the grind was worth it.
When he turned one, he started showing progress that even the doctors didn’t believe possible. The community therapist said he was developing very well, that the early stimulation was paying off. He started sitting up by himself, then crawling. I cried with raw emotion at every single new milestone.
It was around that time I met Dr. Whitman, a pediatrician specializing in child development who started volunteering at the neighborhood health clinic. She checked Dante during a routine visit and was immediately impressed with how attentive he was, how he reacted to environmental stimuli.
“Do you stimulate him at home, ma’am?” she asked me, looking over her spectacles.
“I do everything the therapist teaches me,” I answered. “I talk to him a lot. I read him stories even though he’s little. Play different types of music for him. Show him bright colors and different textures.”
She smiled warmly. “Keep it up. Do not stop. Dante has enormous potential. Children with Down syndrome can achieve much more than people believe, especially when someone puts in the unconditional love and effort from when they are very small.”
Those words gave me new life. I started researching everything I could get my hands on about child development, early stimulation methods, and special education. I went to the public library on my few days off and spent hours reading, taking notes, and learning. I was going to be the absolute best mother and teacher that boy could have, even if I had to study until dawn after a whole day of hard labor.
Dante started talking at two years old. It was simple words at first. “Mama.” “Water.” “Woof-woof” when he saw a dog. But for me, every single word was a monumental victory that I celebrated with cheers and kisses. I recorded him with an old, beat-up cell phone I carried just to watch it over and over when I was at work, reminding myself what I was fighting for.
